Knicks edge Celtics to secure home court in the 1st round

The New York Knicks defeated the Boston Celtics 96-92 on Sunday at Madison Square Garden to clinch home-court advantage for the first round of the playoffs.

The fourth-seeded Knicks will face the fifth-placed Atlanta Hawks in their first postseason appearance since 2012-13.

RJ Barrett's 22 points helped cap off New York's first winning campaign since the 2012-13 season. Julius Randle also chipped in with 20 points, seven boards, and seven assists.

Despite missing its top-seven contributors to rest and injury, Boston made a game of it, clawing back from a 54-31 halftime deficit to close within three points with under a minute to play.

Jabari Parker led all Celtics with 18 points off the bench, while Tremont Waters posted 17 points and a team-best plus-20.

The 41-31 Knicks enjoyed a stellar first season under Tom Thibodeau. They won more games during this shortened campaign than the last two seasons combined (38), while their .569 winning percentage is the franchise's second-best mark over the last two decades.